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MSDN-AA with e-Academy use at Cambridge

Graham Titmus

University of CambridgeComputer Laboratoryhttp://www.cl.cam.ac.uk

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Department Overview 100 undergraduates per year

First year 50% time in department Projects in second and final years

Several small postgraduate courses Diploma conversion course Speech and Natural Language Processing

120 research staff and PhD students

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Undergraduate teaching Contract out our workstation provision

PWF – provided by Computing Service Windows 2000 Linux

Software for teaching Plan one full year ahead

Widely available access Colleges and bedrooms

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Delivering software Use from servers

Limited set on restricted access servers Use by staff and researchers

Licence servers access for other code flexlm managed in main

Distributed CDs or download areas

Freeware only Distribution of boxed sets

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MSDN-AA Software on CD Rapid changes in content for some products

Keeping it online is maintenance issue Offline makes it harder to use

Licence key distribution Internal – to support staff Internal – to researchers External – to undergraduates

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e-Academy Web site to issue

licences Customisable to some

degree Who is in control? Spam filtering by users

Distribution points Disc space required Bandwidth used Updating

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Users view

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Starting to use it Customising

Logo Contact information Structuring users

Years for Undergraduates – one bulk change per year

Research and Staff – small constant change load Familiarising

Controlling licences or selling them?

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Adding packages Selection of ones to add

Too many to manage all of them Workload level Demand level

Distribution methods CD loan/issue Network download (http) Network share

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Packaging for download Number of pre-packaged suites

XP, VS.Net, …. Special tool to manage download

Take software from MSDNAAdistribution

Store on own website Small downloader at e-Academy Most data over local link

No checksums on image

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Adding users Stability of classes at start of year

Don’t want to leave it too late! Notification methods

Official email first Email form e-Academy looks

like spam Web site in department as well

Backup contact/fault system Tied to http distribution point Internal contact area

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Becoming a salesman Site is a sales point

Issue refunds for $0.00 If you choose download then want to borrow CDs then

you have to be refunded and choose again Administration can be split

System Administrator CD issue

View waiting list Issue return and cancel requests

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Maintenance issues Email list

msdnaa-list@cl.cam.ac.uk Aim for good coverage at weekends during term

Reinstalls Low level of activity

Run out of disk space Reformat machine

Extra activation codes XP intolerance to new hardware

Monitor easily via website All codes issued are displayed

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CD loans No weekends!

Leads to overlongloan periods

Where to collect Recruit literate

students What is a loan?

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Experience to date Simple to configure and use

Lack of ‘identity’ with Department Email messages need tailoring

Maintenance level low Need another devolved role

issue reinstalls/keys Updating user lists

Scriptable route needed using ssh access

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